Provisions Market expands beer selection

When I heard that The Bruery was pulling out of its storefront in downtown Orange, I was one bummed beer drinker.

It was always a challenge for me to get to the tasting room of the Placentia-based craft beer maker, which makes some of the most sought-after brews in the country. Provisions, just north of the traffic circle in Old Town, was conveniently close to the Register (Happy Hour).

But since Haven Gastropub took over Provisions, the beer situation has improved. The guys behind Haven are every bit the beer geeks that The Bruery’s founders are – they brew their own product at Haven’s Pasadena location – but they don’t have to hawk their suds as single-mindedly, since they make far less beer then The Bruery does.

When Provisions closed Jan. 15, “We were on the phone with them that afternoon,” said Wil Dee, Haven’s managing partner and beverage director. “A few weeks later we had inked a deal with them to take it over.”

The Bruery already had a 30-spigot draft beer system in place, so there was no expensive refitting to do behind the bar. “But 50 percent of the beer they sold was their own,” Dee said. “My philosophy that I have had from the beginning is to offer variety.”

That’s exactly what you’ll find when you stroll up to the bar at the back of the airy, inviting store on Glassell Street. On the wall you’ll find plaques describing beers from all parts of America and Europe arranged according to general taste categories: crisp, hoppy, malt, roast and smoke, fruit and spice, and tart and funky.

The orange-and-brown plaques give you the name, brewery of origin, alcohol by volume and price. There are two ways to go: a flight of three five-ounce pours, or a single pour that’s larger. How much larger? That depends on the strength of the beer. If you’re ordering something with an ABV of less than 8 percent, you’ll get a pint. But they back off if the beer is stronger than that: 6 to 12 ounces, depending on the alcohol content of the brew.

You can drink inside in the somewhat cramped tasting area or take your suds out back to an inviting patio that offers shade later in the day.

Though he loves the set-up he inherited, Dee would like to make some improvements to his beer operation.

“The cooler isn’t quite big enough for 30 (kegs). It’s important, because I like to offer beer from 30 different breweries at the same time. That’s the fun part – tasting and comparing.”

Draft beer is subject to fairly quick degeneration, which can be a challenge, Dee said. It has to be shipped quickly, kept cold and in the dark then tapped and consumed as promptly as possible.

“The technology for transporting (draft beer) is much better than it used to be. Still, a lot of craft breweries don’t pasteurize their beers. One of the first things to go is the hop character – the bitterness you get from hops. You can lose that very quickly. Stouts and heavy beers are less susceptible to deterioration.”

Dee said he listens to his customers and sometimes orders according to their requests. “We have a suggestion list. I will look through it and reach out to distributors when I can.” Dee brings in cult beers when available, such as Pliny the Elder from Russian River Brewing Company.

“It’s called Muis by Phantom Carriage out of L.A, a very small brewery. It’s a Belgian-style wild blonde ale.”

Dee warns that with his emphasis on variety, there is bound to be an occasional clunker. But he says the attention to care and detail brought about by the craft beer movement have increased quality immeasurably. He even likes less-than-perfect creations from new brewers: “I call them ‘diamonds in the rough,’” he said with a laugh.